Cedar Park wildfire destroys apartment building, forces evacuations

CEDAR PARK — A fire in Cedar Park destroyed an apartment building Tuesday night, displacing hundreds of residents and causing one minor injury, city officials said.

The fire spread to 50 acres, but the "forward progression" of the fire was stopped Tuesday night, Cedar Park Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin said.

By Wednesday morning, the Texas A&M Forest Service said the fire was 60% contained.

No major injuries were reported.

One apartment building was a "total loss" and three other buildings sustained minor damage at the Bexley at Silverado, at 12820 W. Parmer Lane, the city of Cedar Park said in a media alert Tuesday night.

Residents reported a grass fire at 6:16 p.m., and the fire department responded within a minute, Cedar Park Fire Chief James Mallinger said. The largest flame was 60 feet high, hitting trees beside the apartment complex in a grassy area. The wind moved the fire quickly, Mallinger said.

Reverse 911 notifications were sent to nearby residents and business alerting them to the incident, the city said in a media alert.

The cause of the fire is unclear.

"We won't have a good idea on cause until the fire is out and we can forensically investigate in the daylight," Penniman-Morin said.

More than 20 state and local agencies responded to the fire.

Cedar Park fire: Watch video of a Cedar Park apartment complex engulfed by wildfire

A total of 300 apartment units, 95 townhomes and multiple businesses were evacuated, according to a media alert from the city of Cedar Park. Along with Bexley at Silverado, the Whitestone Landing apartment complex was also evacuated.

"Several hundred" residents were temporarily displaced, Penniman-Morin said.

The American Red Cross is assisting those affected and has set up shelter operations for displaced residents at Hill Country Bible Church, 3351 Little Elm in Cedar Park.

Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell also encouraged the public to lend a hand.

"I'd also encourage all of our citizens here in Williamson County — we have neighbors that are in need, and if you can step up tonight and you know of someone that has been displaced, let's do what we do in Williamson County the best: Let's bring them in, let's welcome them and let's take care of them tonight," Gravell said.

Cedar Park police urged the public to continue avoiding the area.

Though the fire has not progressed further, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported the blaze as 0% contained Tuesday night. Penniman-Morin said that's because containment is a technical term for "completely secure."

"The Texas A&M Forest Service provides that metric and does so conservatively," he said.

Cedar Park residents reflect on fire

Art Arteaga was among more than a dozen displaced residents who had gathered in the Walmart parking lot, where the Red Cross initially set up, and were watching the blaze from a distance after 10 p.m.

Arteaga, a resident of Bexley at Silverado, said the fire started in some brush right behind his apartment; he could see it from his balcony and smell the smoke from inside the building. He grabbed his glasses, his dog's ashes and a few other things, and when he exited, firefighters were already there, telling him to evacuate.

He had "no idea" whether his building was destroyed, he said. A couple of friends offered him a place to stay.

Sam Bachmayer, another resident, was on his way home from work when his girlfriend called to tell him about the fire. She only had time to grab their cat, some cat food and a laptop before leaving. He said she didn't hear any alarms and didn't realize how bad the fire was before leaving.

"It's looking bleak," he said in the Walmart parking lot watching the fire in the distance. "My whole life is still in that apartment, and that's what concerns me."

Apartment resident Isaac Anzaldua said he was on his PlayStation on Tuesday evening when he heard screams and sirens. He walked outside and saw the flames outside of his building — and promptly ran from the complex, taking nothing with him.

Anzaldua said he hasn't gotten any type of notice about the fire from the apartment.

He said the fire was located in a nearby forest and behind a local brewery, the site of another fire last year.

Brent Campbell, who was standing at the corner of Toro Grande and Whitestone Boulevard at 8:30 p.m., said the "whole skyline is covered in black smoke. You have this billowing smoke and flames. I am watching the flames jump into the sky, and you can just see the huge flames explode up."He said pets from a nearby boarding facility have been evacuated.

Austin American-Statesman reporters Tony Plohetski, Ryan Maxin, Madison Scott, Amethyst Martinez and Claire Osborn and visual journalists Sara Diggins and Ricardo Brazziell contributed to this report. 

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Cedar Park wildfire destroys apartment building, forces evacuations